Decide what you will sell first
Before you buy a mower, decide what kind of lawn care business this is. It changes your licenses, your insurance and your equipment.
In many places, a registered business, a local business license and insurance cover it. You can start this spring.
Applying pesticides for hire usually needs a state license. Check your state's fertilizer rules too, and plan time to get licensed.
Weed killers are herbicides, and the EPA lists herbicides among pesticides. The EPA also says federal law requires certification for anyone applying restricted use pesticides, and that many states require certification for commercial use of all pesticides, not just restricted ones. The BLS says most states require licensing for workers who apply pesticides.
Here is how one state words it. The Texas Department of Agriculture says anyone who applies any pesticide, including general-use products, to lawns, trees, ornamental plants or weeds for hire must be licensed, and that applicators who apply only fertilizer do not need a TDA license. Your state will have its own version. Find your state's pesticide agency in the National Pesticide Information Center's list, a project of Oregon State University and the EPA.
Do not spray weed killer for a customer "just this once" until you have checked your state's rules. Mowing pays the bills in year one. Treatments can be your year two upsell.
Licenses and insurance checklist
Requirements vary by state, county and city, as the SBA puts it. This is the list of things to check, and who to ask about each one. Tick them off as you go.
On insurance: the SBA describes general liability as coverage for bodily injury and property damage. In lawn care that means a rock thrown through a window or a trimmer line that scratches a car. Tell your agent you will tow a trailer for work, because a personal auto policy may not cover business use. And the SBA lists workers' compensation as required for businesses with employees.
What it costs to start, and what to charge
Your equipment cost and your price per lawn are the same question. Every visit has to pay for your time, your drive, your fuel and a slice of the mower. Put in your own numbers. The starting values are examples, not quotes or market rates.
All starting values are examples. For reference, the BLS puts the median pay for grounds maintenance workers at $19.27 an hour (May 2025). Your own hourly target has to cover your taxes, slow weeks and the off-season too.
Play with the drive time. Going from 10 to 20 minutes between lawns raises the price you need on every lawn, with the same mower and the same customers. That is why the route matters as much as the equipment.
Equipment: what to buy, and what to skip
| Buy now | Add when routes fill | |
|---|---|---|
| Mowing | One reliable mower, used if a mechanic has checked it | A commercial zero-turn or stand-on once you have the lawns to pay for it |
| Trimming and edging | String trimmer, edger, backpack or handheld blower | Hedge trimmer, a second set as a backup |
| Hauling | The truck you have and a small open trailer | A bigger trailer with ramps and racks |
| Treatments | Nothing yet | Spreader and sprayer after you are licensed |
My stance: buy the best used mower you can afford and keep a cheap backup trimmer. A broken trimmer costs you a day of lawns. A brand-new zero-turn in month one mostly costs you sleep.
Leave the clippings on the lawn unless the customer pays for bagging. University of Wisconsin extension advises not collecting clippings unless they are needed or are thick enough to smother the turf. Bagging takes time, and dumping costs money: King County, Washington charges $129.38 a ton to drop off yard waste in 2026.
How to price lawn care
There are three common ways to charge, and most owners use all three:
- Per visit for weekly or every-other-week mowing. Base it on the lawn's size and your minutes on site, like the calculator above.
- Monthly or seasonal plans that bill the same amount each month. Customers like predictable bills, and you get steadier cash.
- By the job for spring and fall cleanups, mulch and overgrown lawns, quoted after you see the yard.
Weekly versus every two weeks is where new owners lose money. University of Wisconsin extension says never to remove more than one-third of the leaf tissue in one mowing, that it is better to mow when needed than on a fixed schedule, and that lawns may need mowing twice a week in spring but only every two weeks in a hot, dry summer.
Cut off no more than the top third of the blade at one mowing.
- SpringUp to twice a week
- Hot, dry summerEvery two weeks may be enough
- Rule of thumbMow when the grass needs it, not by the calendar.
So price every-other-week visits higher than weekly, because the grass is longer and the cut takes more time. And write an overgrown-lawn fee into your terms, so a customer who skips three weeks in May pays for the extra work.
Build a tight weekly route
Ten lawns on three streets beat ten lawns spread across the county. Group customers by neighborhood and give each neighborhood a day. When a new customer calls, offer the day you are already on their street.
- Customer lawn
- Your base
- The lawn across town: charge for the drive, or pass
Two more route rules. Keep one half day a week open for rain makeups and new estimates. And once a street has two or three of your customers, knock on the neighbors' doors while you are there. They just watched you work.
Register the business
Follow the SBA's steps to launch a business. In short: pick a name, choose a structure, register with your state, get a free EIN from the IRS, apply for local licenses and open a business bank account. A sole proprietorship is simplest, but the SBA notes it does not separate your business and personal assets. An LLC protects owners from personal liability in most instances, and the SBA says registering usually costs under $300 in total. If you want help, the SBA's partners offer free or low-cost counseling in your area.
Getting your first customers
Lawns start growing in spring and that is when people start looking for help. Have your profile, prices and booking set up before the first warm weekend, not after.
- Start with your own street and the people you know. Five customers close together beat twenty scattered ones.
- Ask for a yard sign spot. A small sign on a happy customer's lawn for a week does what a mailer cannot.
- Knock on the neighbors' doors on the streets you already mow.
- Offer spring cleanups as a way in. A good cleanup can turn into a mowing customer.
- Ask for a Google review after the first few visits, once they have seen you show up on time.
Getting found on Google
Google says local results come down to relevance, distance and prominence, that more reviews and positive ratings can help, and that you cannot pay for a better local ranking. For a new lawn care company, that comes down to a few things:
- A Google Business Profile. It is free. If customers do not visit you, Google says to remove your address and list the areas you serve, up to 20 of them. List the towns your route actually covers.
- Reviews from real customers. Make your direct link with our free review link generator and text it after a visit. Never offer a free mow for a review. Google strictly prohibits incentives.
- A simple website with online booking. Your services, the towns you cover, real photos, and a form that asks for the address and the service so you can quote without a phone call. See how to add a Book button to Google.
- Fast replies in spring. Calls come in while the mower is running. A missed-call text back keeps those people from calling the next company.
Get ready before the spring rush. Make your Google review link, a QR code for yard signs and invoices, and find your Place ID, all free.
Try the free toolsWhen the route is full and the phone rings while you are mowing, see how Dialbridge works for lawn care and landscaping companies: website, Google profile, reviews, and every call and request answered and followed up.
Sources: SBA: Launch your business; SBA: Choose a business structure; SBA: Register your business; SBA: Apply for licenses and permits; SBA: Get business insurance; SBA: Local assistance; IRS: Get an employer identification number; Utah Insurance Department: Business use of your auto; EPA: Certification standards for pesticide applicators; EPA: Types of pesticide ingredients; NPIC: State pesticide regulatory agencies; Texas Department of Agriculture: Applying pesticides to lawns, trees, ornamentals; BLS Occupational Outlook: Grounds maintenance workers; University of Wisconsin extension: Lawn maintenance; King County, WA: Ordinance 19970, solid waste fees effective Jan 1, 2026; Google: How to improve your local ranking; Google: Manage your service area; Google: Prohibited and restricted content (reviews)